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May 1, 1928.

A. C. ASPINALL ET AL v TICKET ISSUING APPARATUS Filed March 18. 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 1, 1928. 1,668;l86

A. c. ASPINALL ET AL TICKET ISSUING APPARATUS Filed March 18. 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 w w ij vk11l r1111111111111[Jilin May 1, 1928. 1,668,186

A. c. ASPIN'ALF E AL TICKET xssmNe. APPARATUS May 1, 1928. 1,668,186

A. c. ASPINALL ET AL ncxsm ISSUING APPARATUS Filed March 18. 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IFS 0' a6 7 65 02mm H] soul: as

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May 1, 1928.

A. C. ASPINALL ET AL TICKET ISSUING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March- 18. 1926 Qqi for punching Patented May 1, 1928.

uurrsn srsrss essees CFFlCE,

ALBERT CLIFFORD Asrrniinn, or CE-IISWICK LONDON, LEONARD Etienne Gowns,

' or new eennnns, ENGLAND.

TIoizEr-issUrne APZARATUS.

Application filed lviarch 1 8, 1926, Serial No. 95,630, and in Great; Britain March 25, 1925.

v This invention relates to apparatus for the issue of tickets and has particular although not exclusive reference to the issuing of tick ets on omnibuses, tramway cars and other 5 vehicles on which a conductor issues tickets during a journey.

Hitherto it has bee the practice to cm ploy tickets the colour of which vary according to the value and the conductor has 9 to position the ticket to e re punching at the correct fare stage whilst spe types or coloured tic rets are provided for such purposes childrens and workmcns fares.

The object of the present invention is to provide a I light portable apparatus for punching tickets which will obviate the wrong selection of tic rets and inaccurate punching; which occur frequently innsing tickets of the ordinary type by enabling one type of ticket to be employed for all purposes.

According to the invention ticket issuing apparatus is provided comprising means for punching a ticket to indicate the amount paid, independently operated means for punching to indicatethe classification of ticket and further means for punching to indicate the time or distance for which the ticket is issued. According to thc-preerred form of the invention the apparatus comprises means for punchinga ticketto indicate anyone of a PIQLlGiGL- -ned range of values, means for Junching a ticket to indicate any one of a group of classes, means a ticket to indicate the time or distance for which the ticket issued and means for registering automatically the number of tickets issued and the number of each class and value punched.

Reference will now be made to the accon'n panying drawings which illustrate by way of example an ap constructed accord ing to the invention and in which Figure l is a longitudinal sectional ele- 5 vation looking towards the front of the machine and taken'on the line 1-1 of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a cross sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation looking towards the back of th machine with the sliding carriage punchings sectional elevation showing the mechanism which controls the operation of the stage punch,

Figure 5 is a plan of the machine,

Figure 6 is a plan illustrating the means by which depression of one operating key prevents depression of the remaining tare keys,

Figure 7 is a plan of an auxiliary plate which may co-operate with the plate shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a p of the plate employed for locking the cla keys as one is depressed. and

Figure 9 is a View showing a section of the ticketstrip employed.

In the construction illustrated the tickets in the form of a .ianiolded strip 1 with perforations at the folds are stored in u receptacle 2 detachably secured within a casing); 3 which encloses the whole of the operating and registering mechanism. The tickets are fed from the receptacle 2 through a vertical passage l formed between a removable end plate 5 oi the casing; and in inner guide plate 6, the plate being hinged at 7 and normally maintained in. closed position by spring clip 8. The ticket is then fed across a die plate 9 beneath which disposed abcz; 10 for punchings, such box being; divided into compartments by partitions 11 which maintain separate the different classes of punchings. The punched tickets are ejected by mechanism hereinafter described through a slot 12 in the end plate 13 ofthe casing 3.

The preferred formof ticket used is llQXVD in Figure 9 in which 14 indicates the t e' spaces. 15 the fare stages numbercc "from one upwards to the number required and 16 the cl spaces which in this instance are for ordinary, childs, workmens and return ticket-s respectively. A ticket when issued is punched in one space of each of the three groups mentioned, the prim-hing being effected by depressing a lever 17 for the stage, one of four keys 18 for the class and one o1 the series of keys 19 for the fare value, the keys 18 and 19 extending through apertures 20 in a cover plate 21 which is marked on its sur'iaceto indicate the function or alue of eaclykey or the head of each rey may be s o .marked.

Each of the keys 18 and 19 comprises a. cylindrical upper portion adapted to be,

operated by hand and from which depends a punching device comprising a cylindrical stem 22 whose lower end is surrounded by a sleeve 23 having a serrated lower edge of the sleeve. The head of each key 18 or 19 ill similar plate 33 operating in conjunction is recessed asshown at 27 to accommodate a spring 28 coiled around the stem 22, the lower end of said spring bearing against the horizontally extending upper end 29 of a key-lever 30. Beneath the portion 29 of the key lever is disposed a downwardly.

con-ed member 31 fixed to the stem Below the members 31 is disposed a floating p' forated plate operating in conjunction vli'h the class keys 1S and a second and with the fare k 3 5 19. One key stein 22 passes through each hole 3% inthe plates 32 d 33 the function of which is to prevent depression of more than one key in either group simultaneously; The plates 32 and 33 are perforated in such a manner that when one key is depressed its coned member 31 will move the plate until av cylindrical upper portion 35 can enter a perforation, the other perforations in the plate being thereby held out of alignment with their respective keys which are thus held against effective movement. The floating plates 32 and 33 are prevented from tilting and maintained n one iorizontal plane by horizontal rods 6 extending above and below the plates 32 nd from end to end of the casing. i eference to Figure 6 will explain the anner in which depression of one key locks he remaining keys against operation. lVhen example the'key stem22 is depressed the conical portion 31 of the key enters the aperture 34 and moves the plate towards the right (Figure 6) until the key stem becomes concentric with the aperture 34- and the plate is in the position shown in broken lines in which the remaining,

keystcms are in such position relative to their respective apertures that none can be depressed until the plate is released and free for movement.

The plate 33 which surrounds the stem 22 of the twelve fare keys is preferably duplicated, the second plate being disposed beneath it as shown at- 37 in Figure 2 so as to ensure that eleven, keys are all locked against movement whenever one is depressed.

' The lower'plate is formed so that the apertures 38 therein occupy di ferent positions relatively to the key stems than the apertures 34 and asshown in Figure 7.

The fare stage punch 39 is 'slidably mounted in a bracket 40 carried by a screw threaded shaft l1 extcndinx from end to end of the casing 3 and rotata-ble by means of a knurled knob 42 disposed on the shaft 41 externally of too casin to cause the bracket.

420 to travel along the shaft 5 1 to the position requisite to punch a ticket in the correct fare sgace. In practice the bracket 40 is traversed through unit distance at each fare stage through which a vehicle passes, the stages being indicated to the conductor of the vehicle by a pointer 43 carried by the bracket 4-0 and movable in front of-a scale lt visible through a window 25 in the'front of the casing S. The bracket 40 and pointer 43 are formed pref rably in one piece which is prevented from rocking around the shaftell as a pivot and maintained. in the correct vertical position by means of a horizontal guide rod l6 engaging a groove 4:? in the underside of the bracket l0, .The stage punch 39 is formed with a mushroom head l8 enga arm which extends from end to end of the casing in order to engage and depress the stage punch in any position to which it may have been adjusted along the shaft 41, the said arm 50 being normally maintained in the inoperative position shown in Figure 2 by means of a spring 51 which returns it to such position after operation. The arm,

50 is carried by a spindle 52 which projects through the end of the casing above the removable portion 5 and carries the operating lever 17. The knob 42 by which the screw threaded shaft 41 is rotated abuts on its inner face against a boss 53 formed on the end 13 of the casing said boss being formed with a socket 5 1 in which is disposed a spring pressing on a ball 56 adaptedto engage a recess 57 formed in the inner face of the knob 12, the strength of the spring being such that the operator can rotate the knob 42 freely, the ball engaging the recess 57 once during each revolution offers. sufii cient resistance to indicate to'the operator that the bracket 40 isin the correct position for punching in one of the spaces of a ticket.- r

The stage punch mechanism also embodies means for preventing punching at half stage intervals andfor preventing the shaft ll from being rotated when the pimch 39 is being operated. These lockino means cont. prise a spur wheel 58 on the strevnthreaded shaft 41 meshing with a second gear which carries adisc 59 slotted at 60 and adapted to be engaged when inthe position shown in Figure 4 by a. tooth 61 formed on an arm 62 mounted on the operating spindle 52. The arm 62 is'normally held inoperative by a trigger 63 whichhas a recess 64 engaging the shaft 41 and is normally maintained in the position shown by a leaf spring 65 mounted on a fixed portion of the framewor: of the machine. The lower portion.

ed by a groove l9 in an elongatedstage indicating of the trigger is engaged by a. tapered cam 66 mounted on a slidable carriage as hereinafter described and operation of which rocks the trigger about the sh ft 41 against the action of its spring. The arm 62 and operating lever 17 are then free to be moved downwards to operate the stage punch when the slot is in the position shown in Figure 4:. i

All of the punches are normally held inoperative by means of a perforated die plate 67, the perforations in which lie normally out of alignment with the punch elements, said die plate forming part of a slidable carriage 68, the underside of which is provided with means hereinafter described to engage a rackbar 69 formed in the base 70 on which rests the receptacle 10 and having three sets of teeth 71, 72 and 73 formed therein. hen the apparatus is-to be freed for operation a knob 7% on a stem 75 t" nected to the carriage 68 and pas; through a gland 76 in the wall 13 of the easng is pushed inwardly and the carriage is held temporarily in the adjusted position, by pawls 77 and 78 mounted respectively on spindles 79 and 80 mounted in the undcrpart of the carriage and extending at right angles to the direction of travel of the carriage (38.

The carriage G8 is formed with inturned lugs 81 which engage a pair of horizontal rods 82 on which the carriage slides and the carriage is formed with a transverse end portion 83 to which the stem 75 is connected by means of nuts 8%. To the end of the carriage 68 remote from the stem 75 secured a second stem 85 projecting through the wall of the casing and having a. knob 80 for manual operation, this stem being used vfor retuiningthe carriage to normal position after the machine has been used for a cycle of punching operations. The double pawl mounted on the spindle 80 comprises a pawl 'T 8 fixed to the spindle and a second pawl 87 loosely mounted on the spindle. The loose pawl 87 is normally held down by a member 88 extending from the spindle 80 and when the spindle is rocked as hereinafter described the pawl 87 is moved upwardly by a spring 89 hearing on the pawl from below and into engagement with the rack teeth 72. Rocking of the spindle 80 removes the pawl T8 which is fast on the spindle 80 from engagement with the rack teeth T8 and by tending to straighten the spring 89 assists in forcing the pawl 87 upwards. In the normal position. however. the pawl '78 occupies the position shown in Fig;- ure 3 in which it engages the rack teeth '73 and prevents any accidental vibratory inovements of the carriage which might tend to operate incorrectly the totalizing counter hereinafter described.

The ticket strip which passes up the passage at next passes through a passage 90 formed between the fixed dic plate 9 and the movable die plate 67 which carries a post 91 to which is pivoted lever 92 one end 93 which is bent so as to be capable of engaging slots 9% and 95 formed respectively in the die plates 67 and 9, the said lever normally resting on the upper surface of the ticket strip, but engaging the slot 95 when no strip is present in the passage 90 under the influence of a spring 96 fixed to the die plate 67. The opposite end of the lever 92 is formed with notches 97 adapted when no strip is present to engage a fixed stop 98 and prevent movement of the carriage 68.

To enable an ejected ticket to be torn from the strip a claw is provided which comprises a plate 99 having a downwardly extending portion 100 ha 'ing a serrated lower edge normally resting on the plate 9. The plate 99 has a downwardly extending portion 101 at its inner end mounted upon a fixed pivot 102 around which it rotated slightly when the carriage is moved to operative position by the action of a cam 10% which engages beneath a member 103 connected to the plate to raise the latter its outer end and remove the claw from the path of the ticket strip. hen the carriage is restored to normal position the claw falls on to the surface of a ticket and as the ticket is withdrawn eventually engages in the perforations 105 between the first and second tickets enabling the first ticket to be torn away.

hen the carriage 8 is moved into operative position the ticket strip is held in place by a sprag 106 mounted on pivot 107 carried by a fixed guide plate 108. The surface of the ticket also engaged by a second sprag 109 mounted on a. pivot 110 carried in a bearing plate 111 extending upwards from the carriage 68, this sprag being pressed downwardly by a. spring 112 and serving to move the ticket strip forward during the return of the carriage to normal position until one end of the ticket projects through the slot 12. To prevent slight movements of the carriage within the scope of the rack teeth 73 operating to advance the ticket strip out of correct alignment with the punching dies, the sprag 109 is provided with a lost motion device comprising a slot 113 in which the pivot pin 110 engages so that the pivot must engage that end of the slot 118 which is further from the casing wall 13 before any movement of the ticket strip can commence. The sprags 106 and 109 extend through slots 11st and respectively in the plate 67.

The mechanism will now he desc 'bed wher the operation of the various punches is transmitted to registering mech anism disposed in the base of the machine. The key levers 30 extend downwards againstthe hack of the machine casing and are formed on their forward edges each with a detent 116 and at a lower point with rack teeth 117. At a still lower point is formed a hook 118 to which is attached the lower end of a tension spring 119 the upper end of which is attached to a fixed hook 120, the said spring being extended when a key is depressed and serving to restore the key lever and key to normal position at the conclusion of one cycle of operations. The lower ends of the key levers 30 are bent into horizontal portions 121 which are slidable vertically in slots 122 formed in a fined guide plate 123. From each horizontal membe- 121 depends a spring finger 124 which engages the unit wheel of a counter 125 rotated through the space of one unit at each depression of a class or fare key, there being one counter for each class and fare key so that inde pendent registers are kept by the machine of the number 01" tickets issued of each value and of each class. The detents 116 of the key levers 30 are adapted when the keys are depressed to engage and depress plates 126 and 127, the former being operated by the class keys and the latter by the are keys, the plates being slidable vertically in guides 128 and having inclined slots 129 engaged by studs 130 projecting forwardly from the rear casing wall. The studs 130 limit the amount of movement which can be imparted to the plates 126 and 127 which owing to the disposition of the slots 129 move downwardly and towards the right (Figure 3) when operated but are maintained normally in the position shown by springs 131 bearing against upwardly extending end portions 132 and 133 of the plates. The lower edge 01" the plate 126 is adapted to engage an arm 13 1 fixed to the pawl spindle 79 and the lower edge of the plate 127 is adapted to engagean arm 135 fast on the pawl spindle 80.

Under the carriage 68 a catch plate 136 for the class key levers and a longer catch plate'137 for the fare key levers are pivoted on one of the rods 82. The lower edges of these plates are formed with the teeth 138 which in the normal position lie between the key levers 30. When, however, the carriage 68'is moved prior to operation of the punches the teeth 138 are brought into alignment with the key levers so that when one of the key levers is depressed a tooth 138 engages one of the rack teeth 117 and prevents restoration of the key lever and punch to normal position until the carriage is restored to normal position at the conclusion of a cycle of operations. In this manner depression of any punch twice on one ticket is prevented. The catch plates 136 and 137 are held in operative position by the action of springs 139,

The catch plates are moved from the inoperative position shown in Figure 3 to a position in which each tooth rests on a key lever by means of a member 140 projecting at one end of the carriage and which having to travel idly for some distancebefore engaging the catch plates ensures that the catch plates are only moved just the distance sutlicient to bring their teeth into posi tions of potential operation. On the ret'irn movement of the carriage the catch plate is released during the last portion oi the travel there being a lost motion action between the carriage and the catch plates 136,137.

Means are provided to register the total number of tickets punched by the machine or in other words the number of times the carriage 68 is moved to and from operative position. These means comprise 1 12 extending outwardly from one end of the carriage 68 which engages a slot 111 at one end ofia bell crank lever 1&3 mounted on a fixed pivot 144, the other arm of said bell crank lever engaging a slot in a lever 116 the lower portion of which is con structed similarly to the lower portions of the levers 30 and operates an independent counter mounted with the counters 125 in a tray in the base of the machine.

The counting devices employed may be of any suitable construction and are provided each with a ratchet wheel 1417 engaged by the arm 12 1 when a key lever is depressed, and with a spur wheel 148 engaging a spur pinion 1 19 engaged by a spring detent 150 to prevent unintentional rotation of the counter.

The base of the machine is formed in two parts, the first of which a tray 151 has upwardly extending edges 152 which engage between the walls of the casing 3 and the sides of a framework 153 in which the counter spindles 15 1 are mounted, this framework being first secured in place by neans of screws 155 which engage bosses 156 projecting inwardly near the lower ends of the casing walls 3, the heads of the screws being accessible only when a lock 157 has been turned and the tray 151 withdrawn. The machine is so arranged that unlocking ot' the tray 151 by inserting and turning a key in the lock 157 trees all parts of the machine for removal or adjustment as the case may be. Bearing upon the tray 151 is a lever 158 secured to the end wall 6 of the casing by means of screws 159 which pass through slots 160 in the lever, the upper roller end of which has an upwardly projecting arm 161 adapted'to engage in front of a pin 162 projecting downwardly from the base of-the confetti tray 10 and prevent removal of the latter. When the tray 151 is removed however, the lever 158 can move downwardly within the limit allowed by the slots 160 under the influence of a spring 163 mounted at one end on a screw 16% fixed to the casing wall 6 and hearing at its end on a projecting portion 165 of the lever 158. Thus when the tray 151 is removed the confetti tray is released automaticallyfor withdrawal which is effected by pressing upon a stud 166 projecting through the wall 13 of the'casing.

The upper ends of the screws 155 which secure the counter framework 153 in place also engage notches formed in plates 167 extending laterally from the front plate of the casing, normally preventing removal thereof. hen the tray 151 has been removed, the screws 155 may be slackened and the front plate removed permitting access to a spring 168 projecting from the top of the ticket magazine 2 and normally preventing withdrawal thereof by engagement with the inner face of the wall 6 oi the casing.

The lock 157 includes a spindle 169 terminating at its upper end in a catch 170 adapted when in the locked position to engage a horizontal portion 171 of the fixed guide plate, Turning of the member 169 to inoperative position by insertion of the key thus allows the tray 151 to be completely removed at the end of a journey for examination and resetting of the counters. The base of the tray 151 is pierced with sight openings 172 which are protected by a she t of glass or other transparent material 173 maintained in position by a cover plate 17-l also provided with sight openings 175 and sprung into posit-ion by causing projecfions 17 6 formed on its upturned ends 177 to enin depressions 178 formed in the end walls of the casing.

The operation of the machine above described is as follows The fan folded ticket strip having been placed within the magazine 2 the foremost ticket is brought by hand up the channel 1 and inserted in the trough or passage 90 where it is held in operative position by the member 93 and sprag 106. The casing mem her is then closed and the counter tray locked in place when the machine is ready for use, the counters having been zeroized or their totals noted.

lVhen it is desired to issue a ticket, the key 74 is pushed inwardly moving the carriage 68 towards the right, Figure 1, and positioning the movable die plate 67 so that the fare and stage keys are free to be operated. The carriage 68 becomes locked in its adjusted position by engagement of the pawls 77 and 7 8 with their respective racks in the bar 69. The movement of the carriage also rocks the bell crank lever so that the total counter is progressed one unit and by means of the cam 66 removes the trigger 68 from the path of the pawl 62 so that the stage punch is freed for operation. The stage punch bracket is progressed through unit distance by the conductor turning the knob 42 through one revolution at the completion of each fare stage of the journey.

One of the fare keys 19 is next depressed causing the ticket to be punched in the appropriate tare space and a lever to be depressed to operate its counter and to be locked in depressed position by the catch plate 137. "he plate 127 is also depre d rocking the pawl spindle in a clockwise direction, Figure 3, disengaging the pawl 78 and causing the pawl 87 to engage the rack teeth 72.

One of the class keys is next depressed causing punching of the ticket in the ap propriate class space, operation of its counter, locking of a key lever 30 by the catch plate 136 and release of the pawl 77 from the rack 71 so that the carriage is now held only by the pawl 87. After operation the fare and class keys are held in depressed position by the catch plates 137 and to prevent a ticket being punched in more than one fare space and class space.

Depression of the lever 17 and operation of the stage punch 39 completes the punching of the ticket and the key 86 is pus'shed inwardly to restore the slidablc carriage (ES to normal position. \Vhen the key 86 pushed in vardly the pawl 87 is forced out of engagement with the teeth 72 against the action of the spring 89 by the movement or the carriage 68. This movement shifts the movable die plate 67 to locking position and allows the spring 65 to restore the trigger 63 to a position in which the stage punch 39 is locked. During this reverse movement of the carriage the sprag 109 pushes the ticket strip forward until its e d projects through the slot 12 where it can be gr :ped and pulled outwardly until its progress is arrested by the claw engaging a row of pe forations when the ticket can be torn away.

li e claim 1. A ticket issuing apparatus comprising a number oi punching elements each corresponding to one of a predetermined range of values, a number of punching elements each corresponding to one of a group of classes, a single punching element adapted to be progressed a certain distance across the machine at each stage of a journey or the like to alter its position relatively to the ticket, means for releasing said punching elements for operation, means for preventing depression of more than one punch in each of the value and class groups, and means for registering the number of operations of each punch and the total number of tickets issued.

2. A ticket issuing apparatus comprising a group of value punches, a group of class punches, a. stage punch, means for feeding a perforated ticket strip beneath the punch, a slidable carriage adapted when moved to operative position to release all the punches Hil for operation, means for preventing more than one value punch and one class punch in any one ticket, means for registering separately the operations of the several punches and the tickets issued and means for partially ejecting a ticket as the carriage is returned to its locking position at the completion of a cycle of operations. 7 i

3. A ticket issuing apparatus, including value and class punches, a slidable carriage controlling the engagement of said punches with the ticket, key levers operably connected with said punches,'counting devices actuated by said levers and means for holding said key levers, in depressed position until the return of said carriage to normal position.

4. A ticket issuing apparatus, including class and value keys, a slidable carriage, and a pair of pawls temporarily locking said carriage in operative position, said pawls being disengaged respectively by depression of a class and a value key to free said carriage for return to normal position and for partially ejectin a ticket at the end of a cycle of punching operations.

5. A ticket issuing apparatus, as set forth inclaim 3, including catch plates pivoted on said carriage and adapted to engage teeth formed on said key levers upon the latter being depressed. i

6. In a ticket issuing apparatus, a screw threaded shaft extending across the machine, a stage punching device adapted to be traversed along said shaft, means for indicating the completion of movement from one punching position to another, and means for permitting depression of the punch only in correct position relative to spaces provided on each ticket.

7. A ticket issuing apparatus, including a removable ticket magazine, a removable partitioned tray for collecting punchings from the tickets, a counter device, and a tray carrying said counter device and auapted to be locked in the base of the machine, un locking of said tray permitting the withdrawal of said ticket magazine and said par-- ing a movable die plate controlling the engagement of said punches with the ticket, ticket operated means for releasing said carriage for movement to permit engagement of said punches with the ticket, a pawl carried by said carriage and bearing upon the surface of the ticket to force the latter through a delivery slot during return of said carriage to normal position and means for holding the ticket strip for severing a portion therr of at a perto ated line.

- 9. A ticket issuing apparatus, including punching elements, a .slidable carriage having a movable die plate controlling the engagement of said punches with the ticket, ticket operated means for releasing said carriage for movement to permit engagement of said punches with the ticket, means for preventing movement of the unpunched ticket upon movement of said carriage to operative position.

10. In a ticket issuing apparatus, a stage punch, value and class punches, a slidable carriage controlling the engagement of said value and class punches with the ticket, and means including a cam releasing said stage punch for operation during the movement of said carriage to operative position.

In Witness whereof we affix our signatures.

ALBERT CLIFFORD ASPINALL. LEONARD EUGENE COVVEY. 

